Keys to Having a Great Self Storage Experience

The concept of self storage is very simple. Pay the facility the required fee. Drop off your stuff, put a lock on the door and come back to get it when you want it. However, as with almost everything, there are problems that can occur. By following these keys to having a great self storage experience, you will ensure that you do not experience any of these problems.

• Make sure the location you choose is well-lit with adequate security, and has humidity control to ensure your items are not exposed to moisture and mildew.

• Pay your bill promptly. Set it up to be paid automatically because failing to pay your self-storage fee will result in late fees and eventual confiscation of your stored belongings.

• Place pest control traps and bait in your unit to ensure that your items do not become home to unwanted residents.

• Take out rental insurance on your items.

• Label your containers to make things easy to find.

• Place as many things as possible in plastic sealed containers to prevent water and moisture damage, as well as pests from getting at them.

• Cover all items that are not in boxes with plastic for protection.

• Consider using a shelving unit to make organizing easy.

• Place items in the unit in the reverse order you expect to need them.

By using these helpful hints, your items should leave the self storage unit in the same great condition they arrived in. Protect your belongings by planning ahead.

4 Tips For Using Storage Pods

The first thing you need to know about PODS may be exactly what are they? A POD (Portable On-Demand Storage) is a storage and moving system where the POD is dropped off at your home or office and you fill it up with stuff. Once you have the POD filled, you call the company back and they come and pick up the POD and put it in storage for you. Read more...

Why Use a Self Storage Unit

Self storage units may seem like an unusual thing to use for many people. Those with large homes, sheds, basements, garages and large, easily accessible attic space typically have the room to store extra items that they do not use on a regular basis. So why even bother paying for storage space?

• When homes are being put on the market, the first thing real estate agents recommend is to declutter. This opens up the home and frees the space within it, so prospective buyers can get an accurate idea of size and be able to imagine their own things in the home. Uncluttered homes look bigger and cleaner also.
• When people are moving from one location to another, especially if the move is temporary or the final destination is not ready, putting items in storage for a period of time is a great option instead of selling everything and starting over.
• For students away at college, putting belongings in storage between semesters saves time, cost and inconvenience.
• For those who are downsizing but do not want to get rid of certain belongings, a storage unit is a good option to safely keep items that they may want in the future or may want to leave to their heirs.
• Units are also used by those who inherit items that cannot be incorporated into their homes. While looking for a better destination for such items, a storage unit does the trick nicely.
• Businesspeople with excess stock on hand often use storage units to hold such items, until space becomes available in the business for them.
• Businesses that have tight quarters store non-essential items and old files in self storage units.

There are endless reasons that a person or a business might need a self storage unit. They fill a need that is created by today’s society. We all have too much stuff and need some place to put it.

How to Avoid Self Storage Late Fees & Losing Your Stored Stuff

All self storage facilities in North America have standard contracts that state that you must pay a certain amount monthly in order to keep your items in the unit that you have rented. If you are late with your payments, late fees will be charged and after a certain period of time with no payment, your items become the property of the landlord who in turn liquidates them to pay your bill. If the sale does not cover the amount you owe, you must pay the difference. Failure to do so may result in the debt being turned over to a collections agency.

All these steps can adversely affect your credit. However, there are ways to make sure this does not happen to you.

• Set up automated monthly payments from your bank account or your credit card account to the self storage facility. Alternatively you may be able to leave post-dated checks with the facility.
• Write down the contact information for the facility and keep the information about the location, cost and contract on the unit in a secure place. This should be somewhere that you check regularly, so that if you move you will be prompted to let the facility know of your new address.
• Let others know that you have items in storage, where they are stored and where to find the information about it. If something happens to you, others will be able to find your belongings and pay the fees or remove them from storage.

By following these tips you can be assured that your items will not be left behind or surrendered by accident. Secure your items by organization of your affairs.

Find a convenient self storage facility that fits your needs.